Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA) shares are slipping on Tuesday despite the company announcing progress at its Geelong Refinery.

At the time of writing, the Viva Energy share price is down 2.82% to $2.07. By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is 0.1% to 8,811 points.

When zooming out, the ASX energy stock has fallen 10% over the past month but remains up about 1% since the start of 2026.

Here’s what the company told the market today.

What did Viva Energy announce?

In a statement to the ASX, Viva Energy said work to restart the Residue Catalytic Cracking Unit at its Geelong Refinery has been completed.

The unit, known as the RCCU, was damaged by a fire at the refinery on 15 April.

Viva Energy said the RCCU and related units are returning to operation this week. This is expected to lift the refinery back to more than 90% of normal capacity.

However, the update wasn’t all good news.

The company said another part of the refinery, the Alkylation unit, will stay offline while it decides whether to repair or replace it.

This means the refinery will have less ability to turn LPG into petrol. Even so, Viva Energy still expects the Geelong Refinery to operate at more than 90% of normal capacity through 2027.

Why is the Viva Energy share price down?

While the refinery restart is positive, the market may still have some concerns about the update.

The Alkylation unit helps convert LPG produced during refining into gasoline, so having it offline will limit some flexibility at the refinery.

While production is expected to return to more than 90% of normal capacity, one part of the refinery could still be out of action for a long time.

Viva Energy also said it is still investigating the cause of the incident and working with insurers on property damage and business interruption claims.

Early findings suggest the fire was caused by the failure of a section of piping within the Alkylation unit, which released fuel that later ignited.

Refining margins remain strong

One part of the update that may interest shareholders is the refining margin.

Viva Energy said its Geelong Refining Margin was US$23.90 a barrel for April and May. This was based on refining intake of 6.5 million barrels.

The company said the result was helped by strong market conditions and lower fuel oil production after the incident.

Nonetheless, the extended Alkylation outage means there is still some uncertainty around how the plant performs from here.

The post This ASX energy stock is sliding despite a major refinery restart appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

BHP Group (ASX: BHP) shares have had an incredible run throughout the first six months of 2026.

At the time of writing, the ASX mining giant’s shares have climbed further into the green, up around 1% to $60.73 a piece.

It’s good news for investors after a bumpy ride throughout June where the share price has fluctuated between $60.08 and an all-time high of $65.59 a week ago. Since hitting that peak, BHP shares have since lost over 7% of their value.

Despite the past week’s decrease, BHP shares are still up around 33% for the year to date and nearly 71% higher than 12 months ago.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up around 0.1% at the time of writing, and around 1% higher for the year-to-date.

So, if I bought $5,000 of BHP shares 12 months ago, what would it be worth today?

BHP shares were trading at just $35.64 a piece this time last year, and have since climbed 71% higher.

That means that your $5,000 investment in the mining giant 12 months ago would be worth $8,550 today.

Can the share price keep climbing?

After a strong rally over the past year, it looks like BHP shares are now considered to be trading at fair value.

Market Index data shows the majority of brokers have a hold rating on the shares. The $61.66 average target price implies a potential 1% upside, at the time of writing.

TradingView data shows something very similar. Out of 18 analysts, 13 have a hold rating on the mining giant’s shares. Another four rate the stock as a strong buy.

The average $63.75 target price implies a 5% potential upside at the time of writing. However, the range of forecasts is huge. Some expect the shares to fall 34% to a minimum target price of $40.31. Others think BHP shares have the potential to climb 53% higher to $92.99. 

The good news about BHP is even if investors are on the fence about the outlook for its share price, the stock is still a strong passive income play.

Are BHP shares a good buy for passive income?

BHP is a premier blue-chip ASX 200 stock with a market capitalisation of around $309 billion and a strong operational history. At the time of writing, BHP is the largest company trading on the Australia share market.

BHP is a cyclical stock, primarily exposed to iron ore, copper, and other key commodities. The downside is its cyclical nature means BHP is at risk from value fluctuations. But the benefit is that it usually outperforms during periods of economic recovery.

The large-scale but low-cost miner has a long history of regular dividend payments, dating back to around 2006. And its commodity exposure is diversified, too. This means it is able to maintain its dividend payouts even when commodity prices fluctuate.

The miner most recently paid a fully-fanked interim dividend of $1.0385 to shareholders in March. Analysts forecast BHP to pay an annual dividend of $1.91 per share in FY26, and a slightly lower $1.80 per share in FY27. That translates to a forward dividend yield of around 3.1% and 3% respectively, at the time of writing. That’s some decent passive income.

The post $5,000 invested in BHP shares 12 months ago is now worth…. appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares are 0.14% higher at 8,828.7 points on Tuesday. 

The fastest rising ASX 200 share today is WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC), which has recovered 4% after yesterday’s smashing.

ASX 200 healthcare shares Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) and Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB) are also among the top risers today.

Both stocks are up by more than 3.5%.

Meanwhile, let’s check out 3 ASX 200 shares with new ratings from the experts (courtesy The Bull).

Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC)

The Charter Hall share price is $22.73, down 0.5% today and down 7% in the calendar year to date (YTD). 

Toby Grimm from Baker Young has a buy rating on this real estate investment trust (REIT).

The analyst said: 

Australia’s leading diversified property group has benefited from a strong funds management performance driving multiple earnings upgrades in the past financial year.

With the strong operational trend continuing amid a potential respite in interest rates, the stock offers compelling exposure in a lagging sector that may be a beneficiary of a swing against banks.

The shares have been enjoying favourable momentum since May 20, increasing from $18.80 to trade at $23.15 on June 18.

Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH)

The Cochlear share price is $112.38, down 0.5% today and down 57% YTD.

Christopher Watt from Bell Potter has a hold rating on this ASX 200 healthcare share. 

Watt explained: 

The long term opportunity for this hearing implants maker remains compelling, supported by a large addressable market, strong brand position and an attractive product pipeline.

However, near term trading conditions have softened in response to weaker referral activity in the US, hospital capacity constraints in Europe and reimbursement changes in China.

Until there’s clearer evidence that volumes are stabilising, a more balanced stance is appropriate.

The long term growth story and product pipeline remain intact.

The S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) fell to a 9-year low on 3 June due to many industry headwinds over the past year.

Since then, ASX 200 healthcare shares have been on a comeback, rising 11.5% compared to a 0.4% bump for the broader ASX 200.

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)

The Northern Resources share price is $20.93, down 1.3% on Tuesday and down 14% YTD. 

Grimm has a sell rating on this ASX 200 gold mining share.

He explained:

The emergence of prominent US based activist investor Elliott Investment Management has prompted optimism surrounding the gold miner.

However, in our view, it doesn’t alter the underperformance of NST’s asset base involving production volumes, costs and capital expenditure requirements.

A new management team will likely rebase expectations. But we would seek alternative gold exposure for those still playing the theme.

The shares have fallen from $31.73 on March 2 to trade at $21.44 on June 18.

Elliot Investment recently disclosed it has a 3% to 4% stake in Northern Star shares.

It also suggested ways that Northern Star management could improve returns for shareholders.

You can read Northern Star’s response here.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Charter Hall, Northern Star, Cochlear shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• 3 ASX healthcare shares to sell despite signs of sector rebound
• Why CSL, Westpac, and this big-name ASX 200 share could be sells
• Experts name 3 ASX 200 shares to buy

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Cochlear and Telix Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cochlear and Telix Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.